Star Clippers

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Barbados

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Douro River

Excellent

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Terrible

Royal Clipper

Star Flyer

Star Clipper

7 days is not enough

Skagway

Though I am not sure I could withstand more - my wife and sister in law and local friends were all set on going and my knee was shot. And the ship had stairs (ladders in nuatical terms) but no elevators. And I use a cane. Not good. Hoofed  it to a colleague who shot me up with enough cortisone and marcaine to make me think I was 21 again and away we went. I knew I would pay for it but the other Total knee Arthroplasty only had me in agony for 3 months. Read the other reviews for the islands but bear in mind like any other cruise time on land is minimal. The pull here is total relaxation in a setting where the crew treats you like Rex Stouts " Jewel on the cushion of hospitality", while sailing on an actual sailboat. Superb meals, no junk, attentive waiters bartenders, cabin  attendants and recreation staff. And, passengers who appreciate it all.  There are nooks to escape to, more than enough lounges in sun or shade. The crew appears genuinly happy and relaxed. Except perhaps for the " one stripers" merchant marine cadets who share meals with you and get to field ten thousand questions while attempting to eat. Good training and a shout out to the merchant marine who through war and peace keep the commerce of the world afloat. I will rebook as soon as I get the chance.

We sailed on Royal Clipper in 2014 and loved it. We couldn't wait to go back, so much so, we booked two cruises back-to-back. 

This time was a VERY DIFFERENT experience.

 

- Blistering paint and rust on ceiling, banged up woodwork, bad stains on carpet, chipped up paint on walls

- Malfunctioning toilet (twice). We didn't have a working toilet for 16 hours. We had to use the toilet in piano bar

- No washcloths for two days.  We had to  repeatedly ask room steward for them. Then once he started bringing them, we had severely stained washcloths. Then, we couldn't get soap! 

- We had a broken Hair dryer.  The hose was hose taped on both ends with cellophane tape, and leaked air badly. Cellophane tape - Really? We had to ask for a replacement and was told that they were taking one out of another cabin. Lucky that cabin!

The ship is just getting old and in need of some TLC - and maybe some new staff too. 

Our room steward was so bad, we had to ask the hotel manager to move us. (Would you want to be without a working toilet for 16 hours?) When he did, he 'upgraded' us, but charged for the upgrade!

The true test of a company is their ability to deal effectively with issues once they happen. However, the ship supervisors and officers seemed to want to ignore them, rather than work them.. The hotel manager, for instance, never addressed our problems. We had to see him three different times with our problems, and in no case were our problems effective addressed, but when the opportunity came to upsell us to a more expensive cabin, he went into immediate action. 

The cruise company is just no longer  worthy of our future patronage.

Tired Old Ship in need of some TLC

This is MY REVIEW 

Flight were scheduled by Star Clippers travel.  My 12:30AM departure flight was cancelled when I arrived at the airport 2 hours early so I was without sleep for over 24 hours!  Why didn't they send me day before and do overnight and fly next day to Barbados??  There was no way to speak to the person who does the booking. 

When I finally arrived around 10PM at night (the ship did wait about an hour for me) I was fed at least and went to my cabin and it was dingy, deferred maintenance, not clean, bed not made, closet door broken, food was just OK.  Flys on buffet food every breakfast and lunch.  Majority of workers on the ship were very unhelpful and unfriendly.  Activities were very unorganized.  I had questions about the Daily calendar but no one at the desk could give me answers. All employees wearing masks and heavy accents so I couldn't understand a word they said.  I wouldn't recommend this company or this ship in particular.  I was so relieved to be safely back in the USA.

Very bad experience, Very stressful traveling to and from - couldn't wait to get home!

Choose this cruise because I really like small ships and I was very interested in the sailing etc.

As others have described the “raising of the sails” is very dramatic and fun to watch for the first 2 or 3 times.

Crew is obviously focused on the care and maintenance of the sails etc. but as far as I could tell except for the day when we sailed with a sister ship the sails were just decoration. Good advertising as everyone in port can see them but up they go and shortly after down they came. Takes over an hour to put them up, after dinner they were always down. 

My real complaint was the excursion “manager”, you can’t book in advance, you need to track this fellow down and try to get something booked which I found almost impossible to do. He was kind of rude. Others have mentioned he just hangs around the bar puffing on his vape pen. I managed to finally book the “train ride” in the sugar cane which was underwhelming and a tube float that was OK but water levels were very low. Couldn’t book anything else. No snorkeling trips available, I’m a water guy but there was no attraction to the rear ramp thingy.

They park in off the beaten path places but one island marina pretty much looks like all the other islands marinas.

Since they are kind of a “secondary” cruise line there spots in the harbor are not all that good, watched many folk give up on boarding a tender. 

Climbing the mast was fun but the beach day was kind of a joke with a bunch of old people (like me) milling around trying to get comfortable sitting in the sand.

Dinner was fine but honestly I don’t want to sit for more than 2 hours for a 5 course meal every night!

Had a deluxe cabin with a balcony that was nice but in general the hard mahogany on all the walls was a bit much. The reflective noise in the dinning room with 200 oldsters made conversation impossible, I was for sure not the only one who couldn’t hear. I’ve been on river boats with as many people but this was not good.

Overall comment for this cruise line is “strange”

Reviews of this ship are accurate but the excursion manager was impossible to deal with

This was my first time on a Star Clippers cruise. I had been on three big cruise lines but never on a tall ship. The experience far exceeded my expectations and I have already booked my next one. It was absolutely incredible. In fact, when the sails went up for the “sail away” experience on the first night – I would say it was one of the most amazing moments in years of travel. Every sail away was just incredible. As was every sunrise and sunset from the top deck. At my table were people who had been on more than one other Star Clippers ships and I routinely met people who had been on multiple trips with them. It’s not at all your typical cruise. 60% of the passengers were from the UK, about 20 from German and Sweden and only 20% from the U.S. So, the experience was very international for a Caribbean itinerary and had more of a European feel to it than the other cruises I had been on which were primarily Americans. The vibe was chill. No screaming kids. Great opportunities to relax. The staff were really great, special mention to Lea, Brian and Sherman in the restaurant…and my cabin was meticulously taken care of by Sherwin. The cabins are smart and the marble bathrooms are the nicest I have seen on a ship. Overall, the entire ship is just really cool to be on. It’s simple but classic although the dining room was classic and elegant. I traveled during the explosion of Omicron and I want to say that Star Clippers did a great job to make sure we were tested, bubbled, and therefore able to complete the itinerary. When the CDC changed testing requirements for disembarkation mid-cruise, everything was in place by our final day. I was efficiently tested at the cruise terminal by a lab company solely arranged for use by Star Clippers passengers. It was very appreciated that this was taken care of as it was easy and stress-less. A word of thanks was said at dinner to the passengers who trekked forward and came on board during this crazy time. While it’s not easy traveling internationally with an ever-changing moving target, rules, etc., it was absolutely worth it. I felt very safe from a COVID perspective. Thanks to all of the staff who were very dedicated to maintaining a high standard on multiple levels.

Amazing Experience

We chose this cruise because of the opportunity to travel in a sailing ship.  It more than fulfilled our expectations, with the ship travelling under sail for much of the journey. 

The ship itself is beautifully furnished with wood panelling and brass fittings.  

The weather was fine throughout so we spent a lot of time on deck, but the public rooms were lovely and very relaxing. 

The entertainment on board is provided by a musician, who is very versatile, playing piano and guitar and also singing.  There was dancing each evening, rock and pop rather than ballroom.  One night there was a quiz and on another, a talent show.  The entertainment is not sophisticated but a lot of fun.  

The meals were excellent, with a lot of choice. 

The staff were absolutely superb: we would especially mention Vlad, who organised all tours and entertainment, Lawson, who cared for our every need in the dining room, and Randy our cabin steward.  However, all staff were positive, professional and helpful.   We were called by name after the first day....

The ship has no elevators so you need to be able to handle multiple stairways to move around.   Excursions and trips to port were mainly by boarding the tender. There is generally good access to beaches for swimming.  

We would certainly travel on this ship again.

Superb crew and wonderful sailing experience

This was my third time on this cruise line and I still like it a lot. I like the small ship and the fact that it really sails.The ship never felt crowded, I could always find private space, except in the shade. Shade was in short supply and the no saving seats policy did not seem to be enforced.  Staff is excellent, always friendly and polite. 

 I feel that the quality of the food has gone down.They served only salty ritz crackers with cheese and the cheese selection was bland. It seems the 5 pm snacks are also less varied than in previous years. The sandwiches were lots of bread/roll with a very thin piece of meat or cheese. Drinks were reasonably priced, One night there was a steel band playing and they were much much too loud for the small area of the Tropical Bar. it was painful to stay there. Disembarkation was a mess because we were late getting in. They didn't bother making announcements, so we sat there longer than necessary waiting for our passports to be returned.

Still a thrill

We chose this cruise on the recommendation of friends. With only 200+ passengers, it was an exceptionally friendly/personal cruise among the passengers. Since there’s no elevators, there was no worry about being hit by electric wheelchairs or walkers.

The food is outstanding and served 5 times each day

Service by the waiters, cabin stewards, etc., was of highest quality

The ports visited often required anchorage due to visiting less frequented places that offered excellent water sports, beaches and shopping opportunities in areas of shallow waters.

It is a square rigged sailing ship with the majority of its passengers returning from previous experiences on the same Royal Clipper.

The staff is available, personable, and very professional.

The cabins are well decorated with mahogany and brass with more than adequate storage. The beds are comfortable and well dressed. The dress code is relaxed and only in the evening is “business casual” the standard.

Snorkeling, scuba, kayaking, swimming are offered from a sports platform with equipment supplied ate no cost.

Evening entertainment often provided by local performers, no faux broadway type.

Selecting this cruise is reserved for able bodied adventurous passengers.

Great sailing/cruise adventure

We sailed on the Royal Clipper Caribbean cruise Antigua-Barbados.

First the good news.  Sailing in the Caribbean was marvelous.  The shiip really sails.  The ship is beautiful, our deluxe cabin was fine. The food at meals was good and plentiful, although room service breakfast was barely adequate. 

Now the bad news.  My wife and I took a dip in the water from the marina deck. We were wearing life vests supplied by the ship.  At some point several small sail boats came back to the platform and we became separated in the melee that followed, which was made worse because of the wind and current, since the ship was anchored out in the harbor.  My wife tried to get back on the platform , out of the water, but because of the returning small boats and the movement of the ship, she couldn't pull herself up, and was being pushed into and almost under the platform.  She called for help from the crew but no one came to her aid.  Eventually 2 guests on the platform reached in and pulled her out, before I could work my way through the boats which had congregated at the platform.  She was visibly shaken.

Soon therafter we went to the Purser to lodge a complaint about what we saw as an unsafe condition.  She basically said we should just note this on the guest comment card.  We didn't  feel this was an adequate response so she called a crewman who was on duty at the platform at he time.  He came by and said that he saw my wife was having a trouble, but he was too busy dealing with the returning boats to do anything about it! We were, of course, quite flabbergasted.  Again we were told to note it on the guest comment card. No one offerd an apology, took our names or, as fars as we can tell, filed an incident report.

When we reurned we e-mailed the company and sent a copy to our travel agent who reached out to the cruise company's agent.  Neither we nor our travel agent have recieved even an acknowledgment for the cruise company.

To us, this indicates a lack of attention to safety--when guests are out swimming in open water at least one crewman should be assigned to guest safety.  And the lack of any response from the cruise company speaks for itself.

Beautiful Sailing, but lack of safety

I have been on Star Flyer twice and when the no solo supplement was offered last year I decided to try this larger ship knowing that the routine would be familiar.  I am not a sailor but I think we all tire of the large cruise ships and the usual ports so getting in private small towns and beaches appealed to me.  Once on board I found the large expanse of upper deck appealing with more shade available and more room to relax compared to the Star Flyer.  I had inside cabin (216) and it is small with only one closet with another drawer under the bed but for one person adequate.  Ship is beautiful with brass, beautiful wood work and library has fireplace that glows for ambiance altho few people go into library.  Food is very good to my tastes and I am no food critic but the fish they offer is excellent, only tip I have is to avoid 2 hour meals asked to be seated at smaller table than 8 to avoid this altho some enjoy their wine and the ambiance of the dining experience.  Breakfast and lunch are buffet with different theme and one day they did a beach BBQ on Tobago cay which was amazing. Only negative is the buffet is in smaller area than on Star Flyer which makes for a traffic jam between the hot dishes and salads and fruit. They also set out some snacks at 5-6 PM which is welcome since dinner does not start until 7:30 PM. Joanna and Jerry provided music in afternoon and at night and were great, I really enjoyed them and listened a lot to their music. Crew is wonderful and ready to help at all times.  Bar prices are reasonable and I am a beer drinker and was surprised to find they had Carib as the last two Flyer cruises I was on in the Caribbean did not have any island beers and altho they ran out half way thru the cruise I was hoping this will be a change on their cruises in Caribbean next year. Most days we made two stops in morning and afternoon it seems to let excursions go out and then a beach type stop in the afternoon.  I found the morning stops less than exciting as I did no excursions but truly loved each afternoon stop and wanted to stay longer.  The ship does move but I guess I am getting used to the motion and only two nights did I notice more movement.  Passengers were a mix of UK, Canada, US, and others but most were very friendly and welcomed me at dinner as a solo which is appreciated.  I was asked which ship I prefer since I had now sailed both and that is truly hard to say, I guess my first experience is important and think if I was on a 7 day trip I prefer Star Flyer and if I was on 14 day trip I would prefer Royal Clipper especially is you had days at sea like the Panama Canal trip.  I enjoyed this cruise again and I finally saw the Green Flash which makes this a special cruise to me.

TIme to try Royal Clipper

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